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KSDE staff brief committee on education service centers and interlocal agreements
Summary
A Kansas State Department of Education legislative coordinator described how education service centers (interlocals) operate, how they differ from cooperatives, and the range of services they provide; committee members sought follow-up on TASIN funding, federal contract relationships and KSDE contracts with centers.
Gabrielle Hull, legislative coordinator for the Kansas State Department of Education, briefed a House Education Committee on the role of education service centers and interlocal cooperation agreements, explaining how districts use interlocals and cooperatives to share services such as special education, pooled insurance, budgeting support and shared staff positions.
Hull told the committee the statutory authority cited in the memo is “KSA 70 two‑thirteen 100” and explained two common structures: cooperatives, where a district is the fiscal agent, and interlocals (education service centers), which typically have a separate governing board and act as the fiscal agent for member districts. She said Kansas has 24 cooperatives with 103 member districts and 17 interlocals with 150 member districts.
What service centers do
Hull said service centers provide a broad array of services determined by member districts’ needs: “Some of those could be budget assistance during the budget cycle. They can work with contracting staff… some alternative schools are within education service centers and then some of the service centers also facilitate pooled insurance groups.” She added KSDE often partners with service centers to deliver professional development and training.
Committee questions and follow-up requests
Several representatives asked whether KSDE contracts directly with service centers, how federal funds flow to centers, and which centers host TASIN (Technical Assistance Support Network) projects. Hull said she did not have contract or TASIN lists available in the hearing but offered to provide that information to the committee. On LETRS training, Hull said many service center staff were trained before KSDE’s LETRS contract and that KSDE typically provides professional development without charging districts.
On federal funding, Hull said an interlocal can be a fiscal agent and it may be possible for service centers to receive federal funds, but she did not have details on whether centers enter federal contracts independently of KSDE; she offered to look into the question and return with specifics.
Why it matters
Education service centers are a vehicle for small and mid‑sized districts to pool resources and buy services they could not afford individually. The committee’s follow-up requests — including which centers host TASIN projects, a list of KSDE contracts with service centers, and any federal funding arrangements — are intended to clarify funding flows and KSDE’s operational relationships with the centers.
Procedure and next steps
Hull provided the memo and answered questions; she agreed to supply the requested TASIN list and to check on KSDE’s contracting relationships with service centers and on any direct federal funding arrangements.
